Rockies honor Jackie Robinson with No. 42

DENVER -- Before wearing No. 42 on Tuesday -- the day the Rockies and Mets celebrated Jackie Robinson Day -- Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler watched the movie "42" and marveled at the man who broke baseball's color barrier.

"Looking back, I don't know if there is a person who could have done that," Fowler said. "I would actually love to sit down and talk to somebody [who went through the hatred, name-calling and violence of the time] about it, to pick their brain. But watching that movie was powerful enough."

The number was worn by most Major Leaguers on Monday, the anniversary of Robinson's first game in 1947. However, Monday's Mets-Rockies game was snowed out, so the teams wore No. 42 in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

In 1997, under the direction of Commissioner Bud Selig, Robinson's No. 42 was retired across all of Major League Baseball in an unprecedented tribute.

For Tuesday night's scheduled game, weather permitting, the teams were to wear throwbacks commemorating the first game in the history of the Rockies' franchise on April 5, 1993. On that day, the Mets beat the Rockies, 3-0, at Shea Stadium. So on Tuesday night, the Mets were to wear a throwback home uniform and the Rockies were to wear their original road design.